Fate
by locqua
Summary: Were Edward and Bella truly meant to be together?  A parent's perspective on love, devotion, and family.  One-shot, in-canon.  Set during the book "Eclipse".


_AN: I wrote this over two years ago, when I first started writing fan-fiction. It was meant as an exercise in crafting different POVs, but after it was completed, I found that it also gave me another perspective into Edward's self-proclaimed "soullessness" – one from devoted and loving parents._

_Again, I thank Stephenie Meyer for creating such a wonderful world and characters, and, as always, all rights belong to her. _

_Happy Holidays everyone!_

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"Fate. It's such a strong and mystical entity." Her sweet voice sang to me like no other. It was the sound of the warm sunlight that powered the earth; the sound of the great oceans that cradled the very source of life in which we drew our nourishment. I could listen to her talk for eternity, drifting within the tones of her words as if my very being was no more then the breath from her lips.

I opened my eyes and watched her closely as she moved around the room, oblivious to my gaze. Her movements were delicate, graceful, and wholly uncalculated. She righted objects on the desk that weren't precisely placed. She smoothed a centuries-old afghan that lay on the sofa, stroking the ancient fabric with her caring touch. I longed to be the afghan. Her hand flitted upwards, unconsciously, to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. A creature such as she was surely the basis and standards for angels, though none could ever hope to compare to the beauty that was her soul.

Now she turned her back to me, stepping slowly towards the commanding bookshelf that lined the wall. Her head tilted to one side as she regarded a set of old books, her finger brushing against the leather spines lovingly. _Shakespeare._ She let out a small sigh as she studied the titles. The old romantic stories had always held a special place in her heart, as she often read the works out loud while strolling through the forest, seemingly to share the essence of the tales with the evergreens and birds alike. Her soothing words seemed to drift with the perfumed wind, caressing the very elements she spoke of.

"I have always believed in it. Even before I found you." Now she turned to meet my eyes. The flickering flame of the candles danced along her peaceful face, illuminating it in such a way that her ivory skin appeared to glow from within. "And now I believe that it is steering us all towards an existence that we've never been able to comprehend." The culmination of her voice and the overpowering wealth of emotions that emitted from her soft eyes distracted me from the meaning of her words. I was incapable of answering her as I fell deeper under the spell of her essence. She stepped towards me, her expression still thoughtful and warm. My arms moved on their own accord; opening slowly to welcome her. I continued to study her breathtaking features as she approached me, settling gently upon my lap and reaching up to stroke my face with her slight hands. Her touch was electric, and my breath fell away as easily as dying rose petals. One often contemplates the theory of heaven and hell, particularly after existing for hundreds of years in an ever-changing world of both tremendous beauty and indescribable misery. But I had come to bask within my own definition of heaven, one that was very simple and complete – existing solely for _her_.

The slightest hint of a smile began to peek around the corners of her mouth. "You didn't hear me, did you?" Her tone was much too melodious to be even faintly accusing. I reached up to trace the contours of her jaw, marveling at the sensation of the facial muscles that flexed when she spoke.

"Fate," I answered softly. Her smile grew as my fingers brushed against her tender cheek. "You were saying how you believed in it." I tried unsuccessfully to replay her words back in my mind, searching out her exact phrase, but I had hopelessly lost it as I slid back to bask in her blissful aurora.

"I was saying that I believe that fate has been leading us down a new path," she explained gently. Her movements mirrored her tone; there was no hint of anger or annoyance in my lack of comprehension as she leaned into me, the weight of her body feeling unbelievably _right_ as it rested against mine. Words could not describe how she felt when I held her this way, as if I was holding my very existence.

I struggled to focus on her words, knowing that she would not have spoken them if they did not have some meaning that was paramount. "Please continue," I whispered softly against her ear. She reacted immediately by pressing herself more firmly against me.

"Edward is worried." Her voice began to seep with melancholy as she continued. "He is questioning his involvement with Bella again. He wonders if he's condemning her to a fruitless life." Her words trailed off, the sadness now thick in each syllable.

"He worries for the loss of her soul, for her humanity," I answered evenly. My oldest companion in this world had never been able to see the goodness within our unnatural existence. I had worked for years to undeniably demonstrate the power of love between our kind; to show him that we were able to, at the very least, mimic the humanity we had all sacrificed, if not surpass it with our boundless capabilities to empathize and care for one another. I truly believed that he had finally grasped the infinite boundaries of love that we shared with one another, but I had been unable to convince him that we were also capable of sharing these with the very beings we used to be.

"He loves her. I have witnessed the depth of their love, and it's as powerful and encompassing as our own. Bella's feelings for him are as strong as his – surprisingly so, for a human. But then I wonder if she wasn't given the gift of exceptional ability to love because she was put on this earth expressly for him." She paused briefly, her hand sliding down from its resting place on my face to trace along my arm that held her. "I think that there's no need for him to worry about the loss of her soul. Why would fate allow such a wonderful creature into all of our lives without a higher purpose? I believe he needs to follow his heart, and not his mind. They are destined to be together for eternity, I can feel it in my bones."

"But the question begs, can they truly be together as two separate beings?" I asked her sincerely. I had never taken the act of transforming a human to vampire lightly. Each time I had performed the arduous task, I searched within for the enlightenment to truly understand the consequences and rewards for such actions. Some were easier then others. However Edward's transformation was the most difficult for both of us. He had grappled painfully over the years to come to terms with his existence, constantly seeking to find the good in himself even when his actions were consistently noble and valiant towards those of us he called family. I secretly harbored a small piece of guilt that questioned my true motivations for saving Edward, so many years ago. I was lonely and wanted a companion, someone I could mentor and guide. Someone to share in the new realm of experiences that accompanied our change to immortals. Did I act out of pure selfishness when I changed him?

"This is where I see fate guiding all of us down a certain path. I wonder if her destiny wasn't scribed in the stars well before any of us graced this world. Look closely at the choices and events that led her to Forks. Consider her draw to Edward and the family, her ability to accept us as if we were her own kind. Even her physical appearance matches ours! To me, that indicates that it is her fate to become one of us, to complete our family and provide Edward with a soul mate who can truly be his equal." Her speech was breathtaking, and I sat in awe of her unique ability to find the goodness and love in every heart she touched. I could easily lose myself in the warmth of her eyes if I allowed it, but a slightly nagging thought kept me from doing so at that moment.

"You pose a very intriguing argument. But is giving her immortality truly the only way? Could Edward have inadvertently thwarted fate's plan by saving her from the car accident? And again, when he rescued her from those hellions in Port Angeles? I agree that her life seems drawn to danger and death, but have we intervened in potentially a negative way?" I hated to speak as the devil's advocate because my heart did not believe my words to be true. But I prided myself on being a man of logic, of learning and enlightenment. All things had to be considered – it was the only way.

As if she could hear the internal battle within my head, her response slowly ebbed my indecision. "If he had not saved her, then she would not have been here to save him. We would surely have lost our favorite son as well."

"Ah, but if he did not save her the first time, then he would have never journeyed to Volterra, and therefore would not have begged for his life to be taken."

She smiled at me, the pain in her eyes seeping outward and replaced with a mother's knowing. Her mind was truly a holy gift; her ability to see things so clearly and truly that I found myself continually amazed by the depth of her knowledge. "I am speaking of the battle that rages inside of him. She saves him from himself. She holds the power to make him see that he possesses every noble trait that he admires in you; in all of us. She is the mirror in which he will finally see his true reflection."

I reached up to cup her face in my hand, thinking again of each man's definition of heaven. I had arrived at mine again as I took in her words. She was infinite wisdom. Her foresight into all matters of the heart was untouchable. And she was my soul mate.

"Then you believe that they are meant to be together, no matter what the outcome?" I knew the answer as well as I knew the sun would rise each day. I felt it deep inside of me, a small fire of hope and anticipation that we were all on the prepuce of a new chapter in our lives. We would be joined by a human, one that we would treasure as much as our other daughters.

"Yes. Bella and Edward will be together for eternity."


End file.
